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Society and Law

Of over hundred colonies in the Anargo sector, Vandoch has the second highest amount of suicides relative to its population. The two primary factors, it is commonly acknowledged, is the global poverty combined with the effects of Vandoch’s alien environment. Because the living conditions are so intolerable on Vandoch, it is not common for anyone to be stationed on its surface as permanent residents. Its million registered inhabitants are usually replaced in five year cycles, as people who stay longer become less productive and eventually develop mental problems. Seasonal work forces are sent from Morgance, most of which are made up by desperate homeless people and press-ganged criminals. Fortunately, the disruptive nature of Vandoch’s environment is considerably less noticeable amongst servitors whose sensory organs have been modified, damaged or removed, which has solidified the hypothesis that the frequent depression and mental illnesses are due to the world’s physical environment, especially the visual and sonic disturbance by Vandoch’s unique flighted creatures.

The law level on Vandoch is particularly strict, and the local branch of Trivium’s system-wide law enforcement agency, the Donegal Sentinels, keeps peace only through harsh punishments and severe control of the population’s movement. While not as restrictive as Morgance itself, Vandoch’s intolerable environment makes it considerably easier to hunt local criminals. Those who are foolish enough to enter the wild in order to escape the work gangs or persecution from the police are usually never heard from again. Still, the consistent appearance of chaos cults throughout Vandoch’s long history has prompted the Adeptus Arbites to leave a relatively large garrison on Vandoch, reporting regularly to the agents of the Inquisition.

Outside Vandoch’s governing bureaucracy and the inner circle of its Monarch, most of the local inhabitants live in poverty for the duration of their visit. Because almost the entire population is part of temporarily resident workforce, staying only for five years or less, there are very few families with children. Indeed, the large amount of physical labour involved in harvesting the swarms has resulted in a significant majority of males on Vandoch. Sexual rivalry is very strong indeed, leading to a number of related crimes. All in all, the population is highly monolithic, with the stereotypical resident being an adult male from Morgance, having low education, little or no wealth and not much in the way of natural talent or intelligence. Despite this unflattering stereotype, workers coming from Vandoch will typically find many new friends as they return to their homeworld, as people (and prospective wives) are very aware that they have had several years to stock up large amounts of wealth with few opportunities of spending.